Ecclesiastes 7:25

Ecclesiastes 7:25 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness:
• New International Version (NIV)So I turned my mind to understand, to investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of things and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the madness of folly.
• English Standard Version (ESV)I turned my heart to know and to search out and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know the wickedness of folly and the foolishness that is madness.
• New King James Version (NKJV)I applied my heart to know, To search and seek out wisdom and the reason of things, To know the wickedness of folly, Even of foolishness and madness.

Context of Ecclesiastes 7:25

23All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me. 24That which is far off, and exceedingly deep, who can find it out? I applied my heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness: 26And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoever pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her. 27Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account:

Ecclesiastes 7:25 word by word

סַבּ֨וֹתִֽי אֲנִ֤י וְלִבִּי֙ לָדַ֣עַת וְלָת֔וּר וּבַקֵּ֥שׁ חָכְמָ֖ה וְחֶשְׁבּ֑וֹן וְלָדַ֙עַת֙ רֶ֣שַׁע כֶּ֔סֶל וְהַסִּכְל֖וּת הוֹלֵלֽוֹת׃Read the interlinear

• appliedסָבַבsâbab · to turn: turnH5437
• heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
• knowיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• searchתּוּרtûr · to spyH8446
• outבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
• wisdomחׇכְמָהchokmâh · wisdomH2451
• reasonחֶשְׁבּוֹןcheshbôn · explanationH2808
• wickednessרֶ֫שַׁעresha‛ · wickednessH7562
• follyכֶּ֫סֶלkesel · loinH3689
• foolishnessסִכְלוּתsiklûth ώiklûth · follyH5531
• madnessהוֹלֵלָהhôlêlâh · madnessH1947

Cross-references for Ecclesiastes 7:25

• Ecclesiastes 1:13And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this grievous labour hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised with it.
• Ecclesiastes 2:1I said in my heart, Come now, I will test thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.
• Ecclesiastes 7:27Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account:
• Ecclesiastes 2:15Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.
• Ecclesiastes 3:16And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.
• Ecclesiastes 9:1For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them.
• Jeremiah 12:1Righteousart thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee: yet let me speak with thee of thy judgments: Why doth the way of the wicked prosper? why are they all happy that deal very treacherously?
• 2 Peter 2:3And through covetousness they shall with deceptive words exploit you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their destruction slumbereth not.
• 2 Peter 3:3Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
• Ecclesiastes 9:3This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event to all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
• Ecclesiastes 10:13The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.
• Genesis 34:7And the sons of Jacob came from the field when they heard it : and the men were grieved, and they were very angry, because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob’s daughter; which thing ought not to be done.
• Joshua 7:13Rise, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves for to morrow: for thus saith the LORD God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thy enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you.
• 2 Samuel 13:12And she answered him, Nay, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel: do not thou this folly.
• Proverbs 17:12Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.
• Proverbs 26:11As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 7:25

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 25I applied mine heart - I cast about, סבותי sabbothi, I made a circuit; I circumscribed the ground I was to traverse; and all within my circle I was determined to know, and to investigate, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things. Has man reason and understanding? If so, then this is his work. God as much calls him to use these powers in this way, as to believe on the Lord Jesus that he may be saved; and he that does not, according to the means in…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 25Reason - The same word is translated “account” Ecclesiastes 7:27, “invention” Ecclesiastes 7:29, and “device” Ecclesiastes 9:10: it is derived from a root signifying “to count.”Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 23-29Verses 23-29 Solomon, in his search into the nature and reason of things, had been miserably deluded. But he here speaks with godly sorrow. He alone who constantly aims to please God, can expect to escape; the careless sinner probably will fall to rise no more. He now discovered more than ever the evil of the great sin of which he had been guilty, the loving many strange women, I Kin. 11:1. A woman thoroughly upright and godly, he had not found. How was…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 23-25it was beyond me: The Teacher could not find the wisdom or reasons he sought. Such reasons are hidden in God's mind (Ecclesiastes 3:11; 8:17).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2525. Literally, "I turned myself and mine heart to." A phrase peculiar to Ecclesiastes, and appropriate to the penitent turning back to commune with his heart on his past life. wickedness of folly--He is now a step further on the path of penitence than in Ec 1:17; 2:12, where "folly" is put without "wickedness" prefixed. reason--rather, "the right estimation" of things. Holden translates also "foolishness (that is, sinful folly, answering to 'wickedness'…Read the comment

Topics related to Ecclesiastes 7:25

• Blindness
• Wisdom

In the dictionaries

• Adversity
• Bosom
• Consider
• Crackling
• Living
• Madness
• Rest
• Fool; Folly
• Synagogue, the Great

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings